Boy's Got the Shinin'
by LitLover 101
Summary: When Dr. V takes Landon, the Saltzman twins, Raf, MG, Kaleb, and Jed for a Halloween in Colorado. Some of the students see it as a treat while others, like Landon, have a bad feeling. Worried for his daughters, Alaric follows them, with Hope, and a few humans. Snowed in and nowhere to run; what could go wrong? Inspired by Stephen King's The Shining. Legacies S2 AU
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Legacies**_** it belongs to the CW, Julie Plec and the usual suspects…**

**Hello, my lovely readers. This is my multi-part ode to Halloween and scary stories with a **_**Legacies**_** twist. On with the show…**

_**Boy's Got the Shinin': Part I**_

Dr. Vardemus' shoes clicked along the wooden floor as the selected students sat nervously waiting for his newest idea to spring to life. After the football game the students felt wary of their new headmaster's intentions. Hopefully this time would not end with someone in the hospital, or, worse yet, the morgue.

Smiling cheerfully, Dr. V took his place at the podium and Landon Kirby gulped. He hated when the headmaster smiled at him. It usually meant Landon would be thrown into the spotlight.

Josie Saltzman placed her hand on his knee. Turning his head, Landon offered his girlfriend a tight smile before catching Lizzie Saltzman throwing him a dirty look and then turning her head to stare at Dr. V.

"Students," Dr. V began. "As many of you know, tomorrow begins one of the most celebrated holidays this country has to offer: Halloween! And as many of you—those who pay attention in your history class—" Dr. V sent a pointed look at Kaleb, "—is that this holiday is not all candy and scaring each other. All Hallow's Eve is about tradition."

Kaleb groaned and slumped in his seat. "Only tradition I want to be involved in is the annual party."

MG grinned. He and Kaleb probably would have had a good laugh at Dr. V's expense if Dr. V had not banged his cane on the floor. "Silence," Dr. V called out while Jed looked around at the others like he might pounce on anyone who disobeyed the order.

Rafael placed a hand on Landon's shoulder. "Think this is going to turn out badly?" Since Raf became human, again, Landon had had to explain what happened with Alaric Saltzman, and why Dr. V gave Landon goose bumps.

Dr. V continued. "Actually, Kaleb, I have an activity in mind that you might enjoy."

"Really? What's that?" Kaleb asked, leaning his elbows on the empty chair in front of him.

"We shall be venturing out of the state, and off to Colorado, for the holiday. That is why you have been selected, as some of the most promising young students to attend a little party, if you will." Dr. V stopped speaking and waited for the news to sink in.

"Colorado?" Kaleb sat up straighter. "We're going to ski country?"

MG looked excited, too, and Lizzie began to beam. "I've got skies in my closet that I never thought I'd get to use!" the blonde cried happily.

Dr. V began to smile. "Well, then. What are all of you waiting for? Your plane is awaiting you."

"Plane?" Jo looked worried. "I don't do well in planes."

"Don't worry, Josie. There is a potion for air-sickness." Dr. V came down the aisle, and stood over Landon, looking down at Josie like a proud Papa. Landon curbed his desire to remind Dr. V that Jo had a proud papa. He glanced back to see that even Rafael looked pleased at the news of their field trip. Why was Landon the only who felt worried?

~0~

Alaric Saltzman's phone rang and he picked it up. "Yes?"

"Principal Saltzman, there's a phone call for you, from the Boarding School." His secretary did not like to use the name of the rival school, as if saying it would make someone from there appear.

Rolling his eyes, Ric nodded. "Right. Okay. I'll take the call."

A click sounded in his ear and the call was transferred. "Ric?"

"Dorian, what's up?" Ric asked, balancing a pen between his fingers and leaning back in his chair.

"Dr. Vardemus is planning on taking some of the kids to a resort in Colorado for Halloween." Dorian did not sound too happy about this news. And if Dorian was not happy; Ric was furious.

Sitting up in his chair, Ric dropped his pen on the desk. "He's what? Who?"

"Landon. Jo. Lizzie. Kaleb. Rafael. Jed. And MG." Dorian let out a long breath. "I told him that it's illegal to take minors out of the state, without their parents' permission, but he 'Pish-posh-ed' my warning. What the hell does that mean, anyway?"

Rubbing his temples, Ric tried not to think of how he would kill the new headmaster before this ended. "Right. Okay. Can you text me the address?"

"Sure. Good luck, Ric," Dorian said.

Getting up, Ric rounded his desk and looked at the clock. There were five more hours of classes, but he could not wait that long. He needed to be where his girls were. And screw what Vardemus thought about it.

~0~

Hope Mikaelson had just been leaving a riveting class on chemistry where two boys tried to blow up the lab, and everyone in it. Thankfully, Hope had intervened with a little bump before one compound could make the other go boom.

Bored, she traveled down the crowded halls before she caught sight of Alaric. He headed straight for the doors to the school like a man on a mission. Smiling, Hope followed him.

In the parking lot, Hope stopped Ric by his car with a: "Ditching school early, Principal?" She offered him a knowing smirk.

Alaric turned to her. "Hope, Dr. Vardemus is planning on taking certain people to Colorado. I have a bad feeling about it. Want to go on a road trip?"

"Thank you! I'm so bored," Hope said, already rounding the car to take a seat. Once Ric was settled, she added, "Colorado? Huh? Wonder what's so special there?"

"Guess we'll find out," Ric said.

~0~

Slumping in her seat, in the back of her mom's civilian vehicle Maya Fell stared out the windshield. Since Ethan's accident, their mother decided to take a short break for the holiday and spend a long weekend with her kids.

Ethan's positivity had taken a downturn, and he sat, ear pods shoved in his ears, a cast still on his arm with a look like the world might end today on his face.

The Sheriff looked in the back at her kids. "So, who wants to stop by Dairy Queen?" she asked them. She tried for a cheerful smile but it didn't really work.

They were on their way out of Mystic Falls to visit some relatives in Richmond. This meant they got to leave school early. It also meant that the roads should be fairly clear of traffic. Not that there were ever many cars around here.

Then some jackass came flying down the road, past the sheriff's vehicle, and Maya saw the look on her mother's face. "Mom, don't!" Maya groaned out when Sheriff Mac shook her head.

"Sorry, baby. I can't let somebody pull this crap. He might hurt someone. Halloween is tomorrow, and I don't want a kid to get mowed down." Sheriff Mac sped forward, tailing the car ahead of her. She placed a light on top of her car and then honked at the speeder.

The car slowed to a stop and the sheriff got out of her vehicle. Maya scowled as her mom made her way over to the car. Then Maya caught sight of a familiar set of curls. "Ethan," she nudged her brother with her elbow. "Is that Hope?" she asked her brother.

Ethan finally looked interested. "Looks like her."

A couple of minutes later, their mother came back to the car and settled behind the wheel. "Looks like Alaric Saltzman's going out to Colorado, because his girls' new headmaster is taking them on an illegal trip across state-lines. "Who wants to go for a little road trip?"

Maya and Ethan smiled at each other. Looked like their Halloween just got interesting.

~0~

"Look at this place!" Lizzie cried. "I want to die here!"

"Be careful what you wish for," Landon said.

Turning, Lizzie frowned at her sister's poor taste in the opposite sex. Sniffing, she looked around. "This place just oozes old charm." She grinned, taking in the resort as they made their way to the porch. "I'm feeling a need to become a snow bunny. Right, Jo?"

Josie looked better than she had on the plane. She'd refused to take the stuff Dr. V kept trying to force on her. This meant Lizzie had to sit across from her sister who kept running back to the bathroom. Such a nightmare. But it was all worth it now that they were at the resort.

The place was massive. And Lizzie planned on grabbing a bedroom of her own. She and Sebastian needed some downtime together. Alone. How romantic would it be if their first time was here? She grinned, looking at Sebastian. Lizzie didn't care that no one else could see him. It made their whole thing so much more mysterious, and hot.

"Does this place creep anyone else out?" Landon asked, shoving his hands in his pockets, and looking grimly around himself as Kaleb pushed the doors open.

MG looked around. "It does remind me a bit of some movie we watched. Long time ago. Creepy shit."

Rafael stuck close to Landon. Poor Rafael. All those days stuck in wolf-form. Lizzie felt bad for her friend. But she had other things to think about. Like finding the perfect room.

"Alright, students," Dr. V said, stopping in the lobby. "We will have males on the fourth floor. Females on the second. No comingling. This trip is not about sex-capades."

Kaleb let out a laugh and then pressed his balled fist to his mouth. Even Jed seemed vaguely amused.

Dr. V glowered at them while Lizzie choked down her own laughter. "This trip is a test of your powers. You see, this resort is old, and very powerful. You might have read of it in the pulp fiction writer's work, Stephan King, ring a bell for any of you?"

MG jumped up. "I knew it," he cried, shaking his fists in the air. "We're in The Overlook!"

"Ah, man," Kaleb groaned. "This is whack. You took us to some creep-ass resort with some creepy-ass racist ghosts? I am out!" He held up his hands and moved toward the door.

"Wait!" Dr. V called, banging his cane on the floor, and Kaleb stopped. "Yes. This is a horrifying place, full of hideous creatures, with repugnant views, and that is precisely why we are here! You are going to use your powers to defeat the monsters that lurk these hallways. If you dare!" Pausing, he smiled at them.

"Really?" MG looked curious. "You want us to go all Danny Torrance on this place?"

"No, Milton, I want you to make sure that spirits who haunt these halls never return!" Dr. V said. "Be better than the human boy—with what some called a gift—but in the end did not prove enough to end this madness."

"So, you want us to play ghost busters?" Kaleb folded his arms over his chest.

Lizzie felt her happiness fading. She'd been hoping this might be a kind of vacation. Instead, it was another test. She might as well still be in school. How lame. "I'm going to find a room. Maybe someone will pop out at me, and I can pass my part of the test. And then go for a cup of hot chocolate," she announced, picking up her bags and sauntering away.

~0~

"What in the hell is this place?" Hope asked Ric as she made her way up to the porch. She thought she might have seen something like it in a movie, once.

"The sign said: The Overlook," Ethan supplied.

"He knows how to read; I am so proud," the Sheriff of Mystic Falls said, coming to join them on the front porch. "I saw a van parked in the back. Think that's them?" She was looking at Ric.

Hope wished the humans had not decided to play tag-along. She couldn't use her powers in front of them. And using her powers would mean she could find Landon, and the others, quickly.

"Probably," Ric said, nodding at the front doors. "One way to find out." He opened the door and went inside.

Maya came in behind Hope. "So, you're hanging out with the Principal, off-hours? Huh?" She gave Hope a teasing smile. "And I thought I was weird for being a cop's kid."

"Ric was friends with my mom. My parents are dead. So, he's kind of like a dad, and taking care of me," Hope replied.

Maya's smile fell. "Oh. I'm so sorry. I didn't know…"

Hope shrugged. "It's okay. We haven't known each other that long." Her attention turned toward someone coming down the stairs. "Landon!" she called, moving forward.

"Hope?" Landon looked as shocked as Hope felt to find him this quickly. She worried they'd have to search the entire resort to find him. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Dad?" Josie cried, coming down the stairs quickly. Then she spotted Hope. "You, again? Are you stalking us?" she demanded.

Before Hope could say anything, Ethan moved to stand beside her. "That's what I asked. Hi, Ethan Fell. You're Josie. Principal Saltzman's kid, right?" He held out a hand.

Josie got a look on her face and Hope wondered why Jo looked at Ethan's hand like he might bite her. Landon jumped in and took Ethan's hand. "Landon Kirby. I remember you. Heard you got hurt during the game. Sorry about that. Our team can play kind of rough."

Hope frowned. Now she suspected she knew what happened to Ethan. And by the look on Jo's face, Hope would be willing to put money on it.

"I guess I have some kind of genetic problem. Doc said they wouldn't have figured it out until I got sicker; if not for the break," Ethan told them and Josie's brows went up. "So, this is kind of saving my life. And, hey, I need to work harder in school. Maybe I can get a different kind of scholarship." Shrugging, Ethan quieted as more boarding school kids came down, along with Dr. V.

Lizzie came down with a smirk. "What do we have here?" She scanned the newcomers before lighting up. "Daddy!" she cried, hurrying down to hug her father. "What are you doing here?" she asked with a wide smile. "Are you part of the test, too?"

"Test? What test?" Ric demanded, eyes going to Dr. V.

Dr. V looked at Ric, the Sheriff, her kids, and finally at Hope. "Mr. Saltzman, I believe I have a restraining order against you. An order you are breaking. Shall I call my lawyer?" A little smirk played at the corners of the man's mouth.

Hope moved forward. "Yeah. Why don't you call them? Then you can ask how long you think you'll be serving for taking minors half-way across the country? Bet they'll get you a nice bunk with some guy named Randy."

Dr. V's smirk froze and his eyes fell on Hope. For a moment, she thought he might expose both of them by trying to use magic on her. But he backed off, his expression becoming mild as he looked to the Sheriff. "Sheriff MacIntyre, it is an honor to have you come all way here. However, as you can see, all of the children are well. And, as it happens, I do have permission from the girls' mother for this outing." His eyes went to Ric who looked like he might try to punch Dr. V, again.

Rolling her eyes, Hope shook her head. She doubted that Caroline Forbes would really give this jerk permission to take Jo and Lizzie all the way here. But, then again, she never thought Caroline would allow a man like this to run her school.

"May I suggest a quaint little chateau or a Motel 8 for you to stay at, Mr. Saltzman?" Dr. V inquired.

Ric smirked back. "It seems like there's plenty of room here. For one night. It's late. Long drive. Kids need sleep. And Sidewinder can be dangerous with the kind of weather I hear is headed our way.

Hope waited for Varedmus to protest, but he inclined his head and almost smiled genuinely. "Ah, I see you're right." His eyes were on the windows behind Hope. There does seem to be a storm coming. I can feel it in my bones. The girls are staying on the second floor. The boys on the fourth. If young Maya and Ethan would like to join my students. I, myself, have taken the second floor. I'm sure the sheriff will find a suit—to her pleasure—on the second floor as well. There is a lodging on the first floor, for you, Mr. Saltzman, on a couch."

Without another word, the headmaster left them. "Sweet dreams," he called over his shoulder.

Hope felt a prickle go up her spine. Sweet dreams were not likely tonight.

~0~

Landon led Ethan Fell up to the fourth floor. "So. Raf and I are in that one. Kaleb's taken the one down the hall. MG's across from us. Jed's right over here," he nodded to Jed's room. "Take your pick."

Ethan nodded. "Thanks." He took the room on the other side of Landon's and Raf's room. "Good night."

"Night," Landon hesitated. He glanced around the hallway. His breath fogged and he blinked when a pair of twin girls giggled before running off. "Man, I hate places like this." He never felt comfortable around rich people, or their things, but this place just creeped the hell out of him.

"Boo!" A cry from behind Landon made him jump.

"Hi!" Jo cried, throwing her arms around his neck. "Are you enjoying your night?"

"No. I kind of hate this place." Landon glanced down the hall and saw something skitter away. King never described what was on the third and fourth floors. If he had, Landon might know what was coming his way.

"Why don't you come down with me? We can make some cocoa. Sit by the fire," Jo suggested, taking Landon's hands and pulling him down the hallway.

"Okay," Landon did not feel like arguing. He hoped nothing attacked Rafael while he was gone. At least Jed was up there. Jed might be a world-class jackass, but at least he felt pack-loyalty.

Descending the stairs, Landon felt a little bit better. It looked like they would have the place to themselves. A little downtime might be exactly what they needed before they had to deal with forces of darkness.

Rounding a corner, and going into the kitchen, Jo was talking about Lizzie and some guy she'd had yet to meet. "She says his name is Sebastian. He's a vamp. No biggie. But I've never seen him. Have you?" Jo's dark eyes were on Landon, his were on the girl who stood in the kitchen, a spoon whirling in a cup, and Jo's eyes flicked across the room.

"Milkshake Girl," Jo growled out, eyes narrowing.

"Jo, don't." Landon grabbed Jo's hand before she could do anything.

Maya's eyebrows went up. She'd been sitting on the counter, talking to Hope, and sipping from her own cup. Now she stared back at Landon and Jo like they'd interrupted something. Maybe they did. Maybe Jo had nothing to worry about. Maybe Hope liked Maya.

Then Hope turned around and the look on her face caught Landon off-guard. The air in his throat stopped moving to his lungs. He felt this way every, single time he saw this girl. Weird. Because he was totally into Jo. But Hope… Something about her…

"Hi, there!" Maya called, waving to them. "Looking for a snack, too?"

Jo took hold of Landon's hand and led him around the table between the four teens. "Yes. Shouldn't you be in your room? Doing magic!" Jo asked Hope.

Hope choked on the milk she'd begun to sip. Jo grinned and leaned into Landon's shoulder. "Just kidding. No, we're looking for snacks. Find anything good?" She flicked her eyes between Maya and Hope. She offered them a knowing grin.

Maya smirked back. "Actually—"

"We were just leaving," Hope snapped, giving Jo a dark look before she gave Landon a wide-eyed: "I told you something in secret and you ran and blabbed" look.

Sliding off the counter, Maya shrugged. "Guess we'll see you all later." She strode after Hope.

Landon groaned as Jo went to make them hot chocolate. "You know, maybe Hope can help us. With the ghosts."

"Why?" Jo demanded, pouring milk into a clean sauce pan. "Lizzie and I can do plenty. We don't need some rando to help us."

Landon leaned against the counter. "I'm just saying: Maybe…"

Jo shook her head. "Can you find some chocolate bars, graham crackers, and marshmallows? We can make s'mores by the fireplace." She offered Landon a big grin.

"Sure." Landon went about the task his girlfriend asked him to complete, and tried not to jump when the cabinets closed all on their own. "So, not spooky," he whispered to himself.

"What?" Jo called to him. He was half-way across the large kitchen.

"Nothing," Landon said. Then he spotted a knife hovering by Josie's ear. "Jo, knife!"

Jo whirled on her heel. The knife went to plunge into her eye when it suddenly whirled, and plunged into the wall, where it wiggled. Landon could see a ghost who tried to dig the knife out. An angry-looking woman in a flapper dress.

"We need to go," Hope's voice came from the doorway. "Maybe worry about food later." She waved for Landon and Jo to leave the kitchen. The moment they fled, Hope said something and the door closed. A howl came from inside the kitchen.

"Cool sound effects," Maya said. "Where's the snacks?" She stood at the end of the hallway.

Hope looked at Landon and Jo. "We're going to have to make do with the stuff picked up at the Seven-Eleven. Landon, can you help me?"

Jo jumped in. "Why?"

"Because someone needs to stay with Maya!" Hope hissed out between her teeth.

Jo rolled eyes. "Not my problem."

"You want Ric to hear that?" Hope snapped.

Gulping, Jo went down the hallway. "Maya, right? Have you seen the lounge?" Josie asked, taking Maya's arm and leading the human off.

With a heavy sigh, Hope led the way back to the staircase and to the second floor.

Once the door was closed, Hope turned to Landon. "I need you to help me make sure the humans not notice when I'm doing magic."

Landon's brows went up. "How?" He shook his head. "I'm not a vamp. I can't just make them forget what they see."

"Fine! Tell them it's a Halloween trick!" Hope snapped, unzipping her bag, and removing snacks. "Do whatever you have to do! Okay! I just need to keep them safe!" She brushed her hair behind her ear. "Or do you want me to ask Jed?"

"How do you know Jed?" Landon demanded. "How do you know me? Because I am pretty damned sure I know you!"

Sighing, Hope stood up. "This is a conversation for some other time!" She moved to get past Landon, but he put himself between Hope and the door. He did not know what was scarier. "Look, you're this witch-wolf…person…and I have limited abilities. We can get MG to help. Or Kaleb. I bet you know them, too. So you know they can help. And I can see these things. They're ghosts. So, let me help you."

"Won't your new girlfriend be jealous?" Hope demanded, her eyes darkening.

Landon nodded. "But I will deal with Jo. Just let me get MG. Okay. And we'll meet downstairs."

Hope rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she muttered, pushing past him.

"And what did you mean by 'new girlfriend?'" Landon called, but Hope was gone. "Weird."

~0~

MG went into the bathroom. He really wanted to take a shower. Then he planned on checking in on Lizzie. Make sure nothing came to try to bite her. Other than Sebastian.

Shaking his head, MG tried not to dwell on the fact that Lizzie would rather be with The Invisible Man than with him. As he looked in the mirror, he thought he saw an arm come out of the bathtub. Oh, no. He knew this part of the story.

Whirling around, MG groaned, and shook his head. "Hi, Ghost Lady. Okay. I'm really sorry about your break-up, but I am not the guy for you." He held up a shaking hand as the woman came toward him, and reached for him, trying to kiss him. "Look, I get you're lonely. I'm lonely, too, but at the risk of seeming like a bad guy, get the hell off of me! Respect my right to say: NO!"

The door flew open, and Landon stood there. His face became pale when the ghost lady grinned at him. "Kiss me," she cried with delight.

"Noooo. No," Landon cried, falling over himself to get away.

MG whizzed out of the bathroom, and slammed the door in the woman's face. "Okay. We really need an out-of-order sign on that." He pointed a thumb over his shoulder at the door which the woman was pounding on.

"Will you guys keep it down?" Kaleb demanded, coming to his door. His alligator slippers were on his feet. His face mask was on, and he looked grumpy.

"There is a dead lady in the bathtub!" MG cried.

"Fine. Tell Jed to take care of her. I am getting some shut-eye." Kaleb went into his room and closed the door.

MG looked at Landon. They both shook their heads at one another. "Hope. This girl from the human school, needs your help."

"Hope?" MG looked thoughtful. "Yeah. I met her. She was hanging with Dr. S. She's cool."

"Weird," Landon said before continuing. "Got attacked by a ghost—with a knife—in the kitchen. So, if you can help us keep the humans from figuring out something's off; that would be great."

MG nodded. "Cool. I can do that. Just let me check on Lizzie. Make sure nothing's trying to hurt her. And I'll be down soon."

Landon nodded. "Cool. See you then." He continued down the hallway. Opening his bedroom door; he gave a quick check. Raf was fine, fast asleep for the first time since he turned back into a human. "Get some sleep, brother," Landon muttered.

Going back into the hallway, Landon went down the stairs, and into the lounge. His breath misted, again, and he saw Jo sitting across from Hope. Neither girl said a thing.

Maya sat in between, chewing on a cookie and seemed uncomfortable. "Hi," she called when she saw Landon.

"Hey," Landon looked from Jo to Hope. "Everything cool down here?"

"We're great," Jo said.

Hope faked a smile. "So happy to be here. Together. While the snow piles up, and there is no chance for escape."

"Other than death," Jo supplied with a light laugh.

Hope narrowed her eyes, but said nothing. She opened her bag and threw a sack of cookies at Landon. "You want anything, Jo?" she asked.

Josie shook her head. "No."

"Nilla wafers. I love these things," Landon said with a surprised smile. Hope's lips lifted and Jo glared. "Thanks," Landon said, lifting the bag. He went to sit down beside Jo. "So, what do you guys want to do?"

"Why don't we play a game of Truth or Dare? I'll go first. Hope, why are you trying to steal my boyfriend?" Jo smiled tightly at Hope whose jaw dropped.

Letting out a shocked laugh, Hope replied, "I'm not trying to steal anyone's boyfriend."

"Well, that's funny," Jo retorted. "Because you can't seem to keep your milkshake-y hands off my man." She stood up, and Hope stood up, too.

"Why don't we all just calm down." Landon said, standing up, too. "I've got an idea. I'll make a fire, and we can tell anything other than ghost stories?" He clapped his hands together as Jo and Hope went back to their corners. "Fire it is."

Going over to the fireplace, to see how it worked, Landon jumped back when it came on by itself. "Shit!" he cried as sparks came out and a ghost turned to grin at him. "Ahhhhh!" he cried, moving away from the spector.

"That's cool!" Maya said. "I've never seen a fireplace come on by itself."

"Neither have I," Hope said, getting up. She moved to stand beside Landon and gave him a questioning look.

"Maybe its magic," Jo said.

Landon turned to give Jo a look. He really wished MG would come down and help them before something really bad happened. Something they couldn't cover up.

"What is wrong with you?" Hope snapped.

"You!" Jo snarled, getting up, and her fingers wiggled.

Landon felt certain that Jo and Hope were about to attack each other when an axe appeared on the coffee table. "Okay. That was not there before," he said, pointing at the weapon.

"Maybe someone has a good idea," Jo said, moving toward the axe.

Snatching the deadly weapon up, Landon held it as tightly as he could. "I think it's just a parlor trick. Right?"

Then something began to scrawl a message on the wall. "What does ied away eid mean?" Maya asked, brows coming together as she looked at the other three.

"No idea," Landon said, shaking his head. "Let's go find our friend, MG. He likes puzzles. Maybe he can figure it out for us." He tried to get the others to go, when Jo interrupted.

"I think it says: Die Maya die," Jo said, and then she cackled.

"Why can't any of you kids shut up!" Ric demanded, coming into the room, with a croquet mallet. "I'm trying to work! And all you do is whine about crap I don't care about! Oh, Jo set someone on fire, again! Oh, Landon doesn't remember me! Oh, Mr. Saltzman, you're a bad influence on your kids! I'll show you bad influence!" Ric slammed the mallet into the wall.

"Okay. This is the part where we run!" Landon shouted before taking off. He felt Jo, Maya and Hope right behind him,

"Run, little piggies, I'll still find you!" Ric shouted at them, still bashing the crap out of the resort from hell.

"I never want to go on another field trip!" Landon shouted as ghosts lined the staircase to taunt them.

_**Happy Halloween!**_

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, my lovely readers. It's time for part II and things just keep getting crazier. On with the show…**

_**Boy's Got the Shinin': Part II**_

Arriving at the top of the staircase, Landon moved so that Josie, Maya, and Hope could move around behind him. He watched with a growing sense of horror as Alaric Saltzman made his way toward them. He dragged an over-sized croquet mallet through the wallpaper and wood underneath. His smile said nothing human and Landon gulped. Of the many people he'd met since arriving at the Salvatore Boarding School for the Young and Gifted, Ric was not high on his list for joining Club Homicidal Maniac, until now.

"So, plan?" Landon said, his eyes moving from Hope to Josie. The girls stood to his left and right.

"Keep running until we find my mom and she stops him!" Maya cried.

"You mean shoots my dad?" Jo demanded, turning to glare at Maya.

Maya frowned at Jo and opened her mouth to answer when Alaric cackled at them. "Run away, Little Piggies, but the Big, Bad Wolf will always find you."

"Josie, get Maya out of here!" Hope cried, her eyes on Alaric.

"No! He's my dad! I have to help him!" Jo cried. She tried to move in front of Hope but Landon held up his hands and inserted himself between the two girls. "Landon?"

"Jo, Hope's right. Maya needs to go somewhere safe. Please!" Landon watched Jo's mouth compress into a thin line and glared at him. He pressed his hands together and gave her his best beseeching look.

"My dad better be okay." Jo snarled at Hope. Jo turned, and caught hold of Maya's wrist, hauling the human girl down the hallway.

Hope sighed. "That went well." Her sarcasm felt familiar to Landon on a level he did not understand but did not have time to think about when Alaric arrived at the top of the stairs and swung the mallet at Landon's head.

Raising a hand, Hope said, "To me," she said in Latin. The mallet seemed to be fighting her command and Alaric offered her a wicked grin.

Letting out a groan, Hope rolled her eyes. "Okay. We'll just do this the old-fashioned way." Leaping in the air, she punched Alaric in the face.

Alaric fell backwards. Instead of groaning in pain—like any normal person—Alaric began to laugh. "Witch!" He continued to laugh as he pushed himself to his knees. "A wicked, wicked bitch!" he hissed out, a huge grin on his face.

"This would be easier if MG were here," Landon said, avoiding Alaric's trying to hit him with the mallet, again. "Shit."

"Where is MG, anyway?" Hope asked as Alaric turned to take a swing at her with the mallet as a couple of ghosts pinned her to a wall.

~0~

"Okay. Candles. Music… Strawberries and whip cream," Lizzie Saltzman said, looking around the room she'd taken.

"Elizabeth," Sebastian said, kissing her neck. "This is delightful, but I think you might have other concerns tonight."

"No!" Lizzie whirled around in his arms. She placed both hands on his shoulders. "We are concern-less. We are concern-free and happy," she sing-songed. "No one is going to bother us tonight. We are going to have one romantic evening, even if I have to kill everyone here to achieve the goal."

Hearing her own words, Lizzie felt a shiver run up her spine. No! She was in control. Things were better. Inhaling slowly, Lizzie blew out a slow breath. Then she smiled at Sebastian. "You wouldn't mind going down to the kitchen and getting us the last ingredients to a sensational night, would you?" She cocked her head and offered her boyfriend a coy grin.

Sebastian's eyebrows rose. "If you insist." Lifting her hand to his lips, he kissed the back of it. The gesture took her breath away and Lizzie fanned herself. "I will return, shortly." His smile devastated her and she wandered over to her suitcase in a daze.

Lizzie removed a negligee and then went into the bathroom to change into it. She liked the feel of the satin on her bare skin. Coming back, she felt disappointed that her vampire was not back already Really? What was taking him so long?

Pouting, Lizzie went to the bed and she slid under the covers. Relaxing, she worked on a pose, trying to figure out what looked more seductive to Sebastian, covers on or covers off? Shaking her head and laughing at herself, Lizzie pulled the covers to her chin. It was cold in the room. She could see her breath misting.

Honestly, Lizzie felt tired from the trip. _Little nap_, she reasoned with herself, yawning. And in what felt like seconds, she felt a mouth on her ankle. "You're back," she moaned as the lips went up her ankle. "Sebastian," she cried out, her back arching.

Then a knock sounded at the door. Glaring, Lizzie growled out. "Go. Away!"

"Lizzie!" MG's voice cried from the other side of the door. "I need to talk to you!"

"Can't it wait?" Lizzie demanded. She felt the lips moving up her calf, her ankle in the grip of a cool hand. Her eyes rolled back and she gasped out, "Ohhh."

"Lizzie, this is serious!" MG shouted, banging on the door. Then he began to rattle the doorknob.

"Fine," Lizzie grunted. "This had better end with someone dying," she muttered. "Be back," she told the figure under the covers.

With a smile, Lizzie went over to a chair and grabbed her coat. She pulled it on and then went to the door. Flicking the lock, she opened it and gave MG an eyebrow up, eyes flashing fire look. "What?" she demanded.

"This place is haunted. Some lady tried to kiss me. In the bathroom!" MG told her.

"Someone tried to kiss you?" Lizzie grinned. "Was she pretty?"

"Lizzie, listen to me!" MG took hold of her shoulders. "This is serious! You never read _The_ _Shining_, but you have to believe me that nothing good will happen to us here! And Landon needs our help!"

Lizzie scoffed. "Jo can save her Mogwai."

Now MG's brows went up. "You speak geek now?"

"Whatever," Lizzie replied. "I'm sorry, MG. But I cannot come out to play superhero. Ask Kaleb." She turned to push the door closed when Sebastian came down to the door.

"Sebastian?" Lizzie felt confused. Then she looked at the bed. "If you're here? Then who's that?" She turned to the bed.

A man in a werewolf mask climbed out from under the covers. "Want to dance with me, dear?" he asked her with a laugh.

"Oh! Ew!" Lizzie backed away and into MG while Sebastian slammed the door in the ghost's face. "I need a shower."

"Not here!" MG cried.

~0~

"Where are we going?" Maya demanded as Jo dragged her by the arm toward the fourth floor.

Jo shook her head. "I don't know! Okay. I just need to be...somewhere where I can think." She let go of the human girl's arm.

"Hey, Maya. What are you doing up here?" Ethan asked. He came out of one of the rooms and rubbed his eyes. He blinked at them. "Maya, what is on your face?"

"What?" Maya placed a hand on her face. Then she let out a cry of shock and fear. "Oh, my God! Oh, my God!" she kept shrieking, wiping at blood that seemed to be pouring from her eyes. "I can't see anything! Ethan, help me!"

Jo felt her stomach flip. "It's a trick. Okay?" She cried, taking hold of Maya's hands. "The ghosts are making you see what they want you to see. It's not real. Take my hands." Realizing that Maya couldn't see her, Jo took hold of the other girl's hands. "Breathe. Slowly. In. Out. Good."

Maya blinked at Jo. Smiling, Jo looked at Ethan who looked astonished. "How did you do that?" Maya asked Jo.

"Uh," Jo said.

"Magic," Dr. V said. He came out of his room. Maya and Ethan looked at the headmaster of the private school like he'd told them the earth was in fact flat. "I'm kidding. Of course. Miss Saltzman shows great skills that will become rewarding when she seeks a career in nursing. Her compassion is a true gift to us all."

Maya seemed to have forgotten the ghost attack already. "Nursing? You think she can't be a doctor? Because she's a girl? Is that what you're teaching in your over-priced, load of brick bullshit school?"

Dr. V's smile slid downward and his eyes darkened. "And with a mouth like that, missy, I can only assume what kind of path your career will lead you on." He leaned closer to Maya.

"Hey! Don't threaten my sister!" Ethan snapped.

As if on cue, doors began to open. "I am trying to sleep in here!" Kaleb cried. "I just want to sleep through this dumbass vacation and get home." Then he noted Dr. V and offered the headmaster a smile.

Jed came out next. "What's going on?" he demanded. Stalking out and into the hallway, he seemed to take Ethan's stance as a threat to Dr. V and he moved between Dr. V and the human. "Back off, townie," Jed snarled.

Great. Maybe Jed would wolf-out and they'd be exposed. Jo rolled her eyes.

Rafael came out. He looked bleary-eyed but saw Jed and Ethan about to fight. "Hey!" he called. "Jed, down!"

Jed's head spun. "I am not your dog!" he snarled.

Rafael nodded. "Sure, man, let's go in my room and talk. Huh?" He waved for Jed to go into the room.

Then they heard the sound of the gunshot downstairs. "Dad!" Jo cried out, running for the stairs.

~0~

Hope was being choked by a ghost while Landon was rolling around on the second floor hallway, trying to avoid Alaric's blows. "Stop squirming!" Alaric shouted, trying to bash Landon's head in. "It'll only hurt for…I don't know how long, but I promise, I'll make it quick." He let out another maniacal laugh.

That's when Lizzie and MG turned the corner. "Daddy?" Lizzie cried, her jaw dropping.

"Sorry, honey, little busy trying to kill this little piggy. Daddy will be with you momentarily." Alaric said as Landon ran into a wall and groaned.

Lizzie tried magic but the mallet would not leave Alaric's hand. "What'd he do, super-glue it?" Lizzie demanded.

Then MG sped down the hallway. He took hold of one of Alaric's arms, pulling it back from Landon. An invisible force seemed to have hold of Alaric's other arm, pulling it back, too. "When did you get so strong, Dr. S?" MG groaned, fighting with Alaric.

Kicking the ghost who attacked her between the legs, Hope threw herself forward and on top of Landon when Alaric freed his favorite toy and tried to bash the girl in the head.

Then a gunshot rang through the air. Alaric dropped the mallet and Lizzie came racing down the hall. "Daddy, are you okay?" she cried.

Alaric looked dazed as he placed a hand to his shoulder. "What happened?" He looked around at the others. "Hope? Landon?"

"Someone want to tell me what the hell is going on around here?" Sherriff Mac demanded, holstering her gun.

Lizzie's head rose and she glared at the Sherriff. "You shot my father!" she snapped.

"Not really," Hope said. She reached out and stuck her finger through the gunshot hole in Alaric's shirt. "Almost." Her eyes went to the hole in the wall.

Landon let out a sigh of relief as Hope slid off of him and turned around. "Are you okay?" she asked, her hands going over his body. He thought she was searching for wounds. Their eyes connected and he got that weird, pit-of-his-stomach feeling he had so often when he looked at her.

"I'm okay," Landon replied with a quick nod.

"Okay." Hope offered him one of those smiles that made him wonder why they didn't meet a long time ago. But he had a girlfriend. Jo was great. Anyone would be lucky if she spared them five seconds of her time. And then Hope smiled at him and… He could not explain what came over him.

"What's going on?" Jo's voice demanded Landon's attention.

However, Jo's full concentration was on her father. "Dad? Are you okay?" she cried, hurrying over to crouch beside Lizzie.

"I'm okay." Alaric said as Rafael came down the hallway and helped him to his feet. "I think. I don't really know what happened. I was in my room. Reading. Then I… I don't know what I did after that."

"I can tell you what you were doing." Sherriff Mac began when Dr. V appeared and she suddenly stopped speaking.

"Do. Go on, Sherriff," Dr. V prompted.

Hope narrowed her eyes. Landon and she stood up at the same time. Both of them crossed their arms over their chests but Dr. V seemed to be too interested in what the Sherriff could tell him about Alaric's behavior.

The Sherriff placed her hands on hips. Her eyes went from Alaric to Dr. V. "I saw Mr. Saltzman coming to the aid of your students. Someone is in here. With us." The Sheriff told Dr. V, her chin sticking out. Her feet were spread apart and the look on her face begged Dr. V to argue with her statement.

Dr. V looked at Landon. "Is that true, Landon?" he inquired. His eyes fixed Landon to the spot.

Landon nodded with a quick jerk of his head before he added, "They tried to choke Hope." He glanced at the marks on Hope's neck. Thankfully her wolf nature had yet to heal her.

"Yes?" Dr. V glanced at Hope's neck through lowered eyelids. "She does appear hurt, doesn't she?"

"Something made me think I was bleeding," Maya piped up. "That's just weird."

Ethan placed his good arm around his sister's shoulders. "I think maybe we should not be split up anymore." He looked at the others. "Sleep in shifts, 'til we can make it out of here and to safety."

Hope stepped into the middle of the group. "I agree with Ethan. Alaric needs some sleep. Someone should look after him." She looked to MG and Kaleb.

Sherriff Mac frowned. "Maybe an adult should look after him."

"An adult. With a gun?" Lizzie demanded, her arms going around her father's waist. "I don't think so."

Jo stepped in front of her father. "I agree with Lizzie. Someone else should take the first shift."

"I suffer from insomnia," MG told them, holding up a hand. He sent everyone a boyish grin.

Kaleb rolled his eyes. "Shit. Fine. I'm in. Got insomnia, too."

Sherriff Mac and Dr. V seemed to agree as they gave MG and Kaleb dubious looks. "I can handle tonight," the Sherriff told them.

"Not to be rude, Ma'am. All respect for you and your work, but we know Mr. Saltzman. He used to take care of us. Now, it's our job to take care of him," MG said.

"Really, Milton? I believe it your job to concentrate on our mission this weekend," Dr. V said. It looked like he was trying to out them to the humans. Great.

"How about we all take turns?" Hope cried, clapping her hands together. "Even Dr. Vardemus can have a turn. All of us agree that this place is creepy, right? Something's off here. So, in order to get through the night; we have to work together."

Alaric nodded. "I agree with Hope."

"Of course he does," Jo grumbled, head hanging.

Landon felt like this would be a long, long night.

~0~

Sitting in the foyer of the resort from hell, Kaleb sighed. "Go fish," he snapped at MG.

MG looked at his own cards before tossing them on the table. "I give up." He looked into the fire. "I wish it would stop snowing."

"You and me both," Kaleb glanced at Landon.

Landon kept glancing at the Hope girl. It was a wonder that Jo had not smacked him over the head with the fire poker, yet. "You cool?" he asked Landon.

Jo had fallen asleep and Landon jerked, making Jo's head fall off his shoulder and onto the couch behind them. "You keep looking over there?" Kaleb jerked his head in the direction of Hope.

The girl had come out of the room Alaric was sleeping in. They were all hoping that Ric was dreaming happy dreams and not bloody, axe-murdery dreams.

"Yeah. I'm good." Landon adjusted his position on the couch. "Everything is good."

"Everything is so beyond good!" Lizzie Saltzman snapped at them. She moved to sit down beside MG. Taking hold of the blanket he had wrapped around him, Lizzie jerked the other half of the blanket over her. She shivered and leaned into MG. "Something is causing this," she snarled out. "Someone is feeding this place. And I want to know who." Her eyes went to Hope.

"Chill, Lizzie," Kaleb said, quietly. He picked up a cup of hot chocolate and blew on the top. "We don't know her story. No need to point fingers."

"I'll point my whole arm," Lizzie snapped. "Everything was fine until she showed up!" She pointed a finger at Hope.

Hope scoffed. "Really, Lizzie? Nothing was wrong until I 'appeared?'" She shook her head and took a seat next to Kaleb. "That's funny."

"How is it funny, Hope?" Lizzie demanded. "You know what's funny? You! You spend way too much time with my dad! Do you have some kind of weird crush on him?"

"No!" Hope's nose wrinkled up in disgust and Kaleb had to pick up the cup to hide his grin. "Never!"

"Good." Lizzie leaned back. "Then you won't mind telling us all about who you are? Will you? If you have nothing to hide." A smug smile came to Lizzie's face as she spoke and Hope shifted on the couch.

"Yeah, Hope. I mean, you did kind of pop out of nowhere," MG added. He smiled to take any kind of sting out of the comment. "We just want to know you. Not to like, violate your privacy."

Landon was leaning a little closer as Hope looked doubtfully at the others. Her eyes went to Maya and Ethan. "Don't worry about them. They're out cold," Kaleb said, waving at the two humans.

Hope shook her head. "Nothing to tell. I'm just a girl from New Orleans."

"Who is a witch." Landon's words made Hope glance at him.

"And a werewolf," Rafael added, sitting up in the chair he had been resting in. They'd thought he was asleep until then.

"A witch? And a wolf?" Dr. V's voice made them all jump. He'd made some lame-ass excuse to go back upstairs after something like a night hat. Now he seemed intrigued. "New Orleans, you say? You wouldn't happen to be a Crescent wolf, would you, Ms… I'm sorry, I seem to have forgotten your last name…?"

"Marshall," Hope replied.

"Marshall?" Dr. V shook his head. "Doesn't ring a bell. I will have to contact the clan and ask them." He went to stand near the end of the couch Hope and Kaleb shared. "And someone with your unique gifts chooses to waste them in the human school? Why?"

"Because I don't like you," Hope retorted.

Lizzie let out a snort of laughter before slapping her hand over her mouth. Dr. V sent her a dark look before he returned to questioning Hope. "I don't see why… How have I offended you, Miss Marshall?"

Hope opened her mouth when Landon let out a groan. "What is it?" Dr. V asked, his attention moving to Landon.

"A ghost." Landon pointed a shaking index finger at Dr. V. "It's pointing a shotgun! Right at your head! Don't you see it!" Voice trembling, Landon slid off the couch. "Dr. Vardemus!"

Dr. Vardemus rolled his eyes. "Landon, enough with the theatrics."

"Oh, my God!" Hope cried. And then she flung herself on top of Dr. V.

Kaleb shot to his feet. "What the hell?" he cried.

Dr. V stared at Hope in shock. "Young lady, get off of me, right now!"

"I can't! There's a ghost with a switchblade. They're trying to cut off your ear!" Hope watched something to her right. Her body had moved into a crouch and she narrowed her eyes. "Oh, no!"

Dr. V yelped when something scratched his earlobe and blood began to pool on his shirt. "Damn!"

"You should run! Hide!" Landon cried out, turning around in a circle. "The ghosts! They don't want Alaric anymore! They want you!" He pointed a finger at Dr. V.

Dr. V stumbled into an end table. "Perhaps I should adjourn for the night. Sleep well." And then he hurried out of the room.

It took a couple of minutes before Hope and Landon began to laugh. "You saw the look on his face?" Hope cried out, giggling.

"What happened?" Jo asked, yawning and stretching.

"Dr. V's an ass," Lizzie told her twin. "Okay. That does not get you off the hook, Hope." She set her sights back on the hybrid girl in their midst.

As if someone wanted to stop Hope from having to answer any more questions; Maya let out a yawn. "Is it morning?" she asked, blinking at them.

"Not for another three hours," Josie said, glancing at the clock and curling her knees to her chest.

"Oh?" Maya looked disappointed. "You think we'll have any fun this weekend?"

"We'll find a way," Jed said, coming into the room.

"Where in the hell were you?" Kaleb asked.

Jed shrugged. "We ran out of marshmallows. I was hungry." He tore open a bag and began to make s'mores.

Kaleb looked at the others. "And nothing freaky happened to you?"

Jed shook his head. "Some cabinets opened and closed. Some jackass in a wolf mask tried to get me to come to some kind of party. I told him he was lame and to leave me alone. He left and said something about killing me later." Shrugging, Jed placed his marshmallows on the end of the fire poker. "Anybody else hungry?"

Kaleb rolled his eyes to ceiling. It would be a miracle if they all got out of this mess without getting killed, or killing each other.

~0~

An hour before daybreak; Alaric got up. He seemed okay. "I'm fine," he kept telling the group until they backed off. "Just a little hungry. Who's willing to go brave the kitchen with me?"

Maya, Ethan, Sherriff Mac, Jed, MG and Kaleb decided to go to the kitchen. Rafael took the opportunity to try to get some sleep while Jo and Lizzie began to argue about something that had nothing to do with their current predicament. "What do you mean 'I sat on Sebastian?" Jo demanded, waving at the seemingly empty seat.

Hope decided to go into the room Ric had been using. She closed the door with a quiet click. Nothing weird about the room. Other than the part where it looked just like the book version. And then there was the writing on the walls. Redrum. "Super obvious," Hope muttered with a nod.

Then the knob twisted. Hope waited for a new attack to begin when Landon came in and closed the door behind him. "Hey," he called, turning to face her. "Find anything?"

"What makes you think I'm looking for something?" Hope demanded.

Landon rolled his eyes. "Remember the time I found you in my room? Not being sketchy at all." Hope's brows went up. "Yeah." Landon nodded. "What we looking for?"

Hope sighed. "I don't know. I had this theory that this place triggered Alaric for a reason."

"You mean like it 'wants' him?" Landon said, making air quotes. "Like in the book. And the movie. And the TV mini-series."

"Something like that." Hope shook her head, a smile tilting her lips upward and Landon drew in a breath. Something about that smile. Something familiar. And Landon could almost put his finger on it…

"Ah-ha! Here's our culprit!" Hope pulled out a bottle of whiskey. "Just like Jack Torrance."

"Alaric's an alcoholic?" Landon's brows shot up. He had no idea. He wondered if the twins knew. And how the hell did Hope know that if his own kids didn't know? "Who are you?" he demanded, his brows coming together.

"Hope. Marshall," Hope said these words slowly.

"I don't think so," Landon retorted. "You're still lying."

Hope shrugged. "Maybe." She shrugged. No way would she be telling Landon about their past, or her past, or anything pertaining to all things past under these circumstances. Her mind was working through a spell to prevent the ghosts from using Ric again.

When Hope rounded the desk, to make her way to the door and the hell out of this extremely awkward conversation, Landon moved to block the door. "What are you hiding?" he demanded.

Hope shook her head. "I'm sorry, Landon. I do not have time to discuss this with you." She held up a hand and waved it to the side. Landon stumbled out of her way.

"You can't keep running your whole life, Hope," Landon called to her. "The past always catches up to us."

Rolling her eyes, Hope muttered. "I know." Her fingers went to the door knob. Twisting it, she found that the knob would not move. "Are you kidding me?" she cried, feeling annoyed. She jiggled the handle until it fell off in her hand.

"Looks like someone else doesn't want you to run away either." Landon's words hit Hope the wrong way and she whirled on her heel. "You mean the dark things in this place that might be killing people we care about while we argue about something you don't even remember?" she snapped.

Landon's mouth opened and then his brows came together. "Something I don't remember?" He shook his head. "Is there something I am supposed to remember…about you?"

Sighing, Hope let out a sigh. "Look, can we just figure out how to get of this room? Please?" She felt overheated. Who turned the heat up in here? Her sweater began to cling to her.

"Does it feel like someone turned up the furnace to you?" Landon asked, wiping sweat off his brow. He frowned and waved the moisture off with a disgusted flick of his wrist.

Hope nodded. "Yes. It is getting really, really hot in here." She reached down and pulled her sweater off.

Unzipping his hoodie, Landon dropped it to the floor. "Man, I am boiling."

"Which is insane. It's like zero degrees outside. And the heat was not working like this," Hope groaned before reaching for the button to her jeans.

"What are you doing? This isn't a wolf-thing, is it?" Landon demanded, his eyes wide as he turned his back on her.

"No. This is a too hot to be wearing pants thing. Or boots. Oh, my God! We have to get out of here!" Hope tugged her boots off and then kicked her pants aside.

"How?" Landon demanded.

Hope groaned. "I don't know." Pausing, she thought about it. "So, in the book the resort came to life because of the little boy, right? So there must be someone who came with us who is causing all of this. They have The Shining. Hell, they probably don't even know they have it." Thinking about it some more, Hope groaned. "But who is it?"

Turning around, Landon had his hand over his eyes. "I think I have a culprit in mind…" He peeked through his fingers and looked Hope in the eye before gulping.

"Who?" Hope demanded.

Shaking his head, Landon turned back around. "You know what, I'm not big on people using information as leverage; but in this case I think it makes sense."

"Oh, really?" Placing a hand on her hip, Hope tried not to lose her temper. "You're going to use your information to what: Make me tell you about my past?" Her eyes widened and she felt irritation pour through like lava through a volcano. Storming over to where Landon stood, Hope jerked his hands down and glared up at him. "You are? Aren't you?" She scoffed. "People are in danger here, Landon! And you want to know about me so badly you're willing to risk their lives, and ours, to get the dirt on me?"

Landon nodded, his expression deadly serious. "If this is what it takes… Yeah. Okay. Fine. I'll be that guy. The one who risks everything because I think whatever you're holding back is the key to a whole lot of things I don't remember. I have a right to know what really happened before. Tell me, Hope!"

"We were in love!" Hope shouted, throwing her arms up in the air as she and Landon began to drip sweat on the floor. "We were in love!" She repeated, watching Landon's eyes go wide with shock. "Yeah," she nodded, feeling all of the things she'd been holding inside for so long pouring out. "I thought I was the key to the whole Malivore-Hell dilemma. Because I am a tribrid—"

"And Malivore was created by a witch, a werewolf and a vampire," Landon interrupted before holding up his hands. "Sorry. Go on."

Hope grabbed her hair and wound it around her fist, pressing it to the back of her head. She felt so freakin' hot but she had to finish. She had to get it all out. Now. "So, I threw myself into the pit. To save you! To save our friend, and Ric, and the whole freakin' world!" Tears began to run down her cheeks. "And I failed you… I failed everyone… I did all of this…" She waved an arm. "For nothing. And now we are going to die in here and never be able to figure out how to stop Malivore before it consumes the whole world!"

Landon nodded. "That makes sense." He looked at the carpet. "I kept trying to remember what happened. I kept drowning myself, this summer, to try to remember until Jo stopped me…and I saw you…" His lips pursed as he looked at Hope.

"Okay." Hope nodded. "Now, you were going to tell me who has the shining."

"Me. I think I'm the boy with the shining," Landon said.

Hope's brows went up. "Oh?" They could only stare at each other. "Okay."

**Answer to guest review: **

**Natasha: Thank you! I hope you enjoy part II, too! **

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, my lovely readers. This is the end of our tale. I hope you liked it. On with the show…**

_**Boy's Got the Shinin': Part III**_

Foot tapping on the wooden floor of his office; Dorian rubbed his chin. His dark eyes swept his desk and fell on his phone. Nothing. Not a word from Alaric, Dr. Vardemus, or any of their many charges. This did not set well with Dorian. His stomach was a knotted mess. Getting up, Dorian decided to do something about his anxiety.

Dorian only stopped to grab his phone and stuffed it into his pants' pocket. He made his way downstairs. Entering the library, Dorian went through the stacks until he found the four volumes he wanted to take a look at. Book upon book on "haunted" spaces.

Carrying a volume on Colorado, he went to a table and flicked on the light. He flipped it open to the index. His finger went down the list until he found what he was looking for. The Outlook. It held ten pages. And that was not the only material they had on that freaky place.

Flipping the pages, Dorian's eyes skimmed over the them. His stomach twisted until he thought he might be sick. Then he saw a handwritten note. Ric's words in pencil: Journal of Mary Ann Fell. Future Council member.

Dorian nodded as if Ric sat across from him. "Thanks, man," he muttered. Closing his current reading material, he made his way back into the stacks. He found journals of Council members' three stacks down and toward the bottom, he found Mary Ann Fell.

Grabbing the journal, he went back to the table he'd been using. Sitting back down, Dorian began to page through the journal. If only Ric had marked the page.

After twenty minutes, Dorian found a page from young Mary Ann's thoughts. It made his brows rise.

_My friends talked me into going to a resort. It's just a something stupid and fun to do. Mystic Falls is so boring. Halloween is the time to go somewhere spooky. _

Skipping past the description of the resort, Dorian stopped when Mary Ann said something that made his worry jump to a new level.

_It wanted them. My tears mark the page as I write. I could not bring myself to say what happened that night. Not until now…._

_My friends, they're all dead… The ghosts, they wanted them. I did not know what they were. I thought they were tales my family told me to keep me in my place, to stop my desire to go out and to see the world. I thought they were too bent on shaping the world to their own square notions. But now I see… _

_My friends were witches. Vampires. Wolves. And other things. Some of these things I still do not know if I took something and recall what they looked like wrong… _

_They are dead. At the stroke of midnight of November the first, the resort possessed my friends and they are lost to me. Their bodies belong to the hotel. Their spirits… I do not know where the supernatural go. I hope they find some peace, one day…_

_I would be dead, too, if not for him, the stranger who appeared. I do not know where he came from. He did not come with our group, but appeared and he helped me. I will forever be grateful to him. _

_If anyone ever discovers this journal, this is a picture taken with my savior after our adventure. Please, if you know him, tell me his name. I need to thank him…but I fear I may never see him again. The things he saw… He could see them and I couldn't. He had the sight… I don't know what that means. _

_Mary Ann Fell_

_November 5, 1963_

There was a picture of a girl who Dorian surmised was Mary Ann and a boy who looked a lot like a current student. "Shit," Dorian muttered. He jumped to his feet. He needed to get to that resort. Now.

~0~

For a moment Hope could only stare at Landon before she let out a surprised laugh. She found herself smiling. "You have what?"

Landon did not look amused. "I have The Shining." He whispered the last two words and then his shoulders hunched up and his lower lip poked out as he looked around the room like something would pounce on him.

Giggling, Hope tried to calm herself. "I think Lizzie got to you."

Turning his head to look Hope straight in the eye Landon said. "Look, you don't believe me, great. Then you tell me what's making all of this happen?" He waved a finger around in the circle, indicating the furnace-feeling office they were trapped inside.

"I…" Hope shrugged. "I don't know. Okay." She sighed. "Fine. Let's say you do have this power. Prove it. Make this go away." She watched Landon's eyes widen.

"I don't know how," Landon groaned.

With a sigh, Hope moved over to him and took his hands. "My aunt Freya taught me that if I concentrated, I could control my powers. So, concentrate with me. Just keep looking into my eyes and think of what you want to happen."

Landon nodded. They stared at each other as their hands dripped with their sweat into a small puddle between them. Still, they did not let go. His chest rose more slowly with each new breath. As they stared at each other, Hope thought she could feel the room cooling down. "It's working," she said with a smile.

Landon's eyes started to move away from Hope's. "Not yet," she directed him. His eyes flicked back to hers.

A click sounded and then Jo's voice startled them. "Is there something you want to tell me, Landon?" Her demanding tone startled them both.

When Hope turned, she found that Jo stood in the doorway. Her hands were on her hips. Her eyes burned fire into Hope. "Yes. There is." Hope had finally decided she was willing to tell everyone her secret but Landon jumped in.

"Lizzie's right. It's me! It's always been me! I'm causing all of this!" Landon cried, grabbing his pants and hustling to the door. "I am soooo sorry, Jo!" He placed a hand on Josie's shoulder and Hope felt her stomach twist. So much for his knowing the truth and their falling back into each other's arms.

Shaking her head, Hope moved toward the door. "Excuse me," she said.

Josie gave Hope another dark look but moved out of the way. "Bye," she muttered. Then her attention went back to Landon. "What do you mean this is all your fault? That's impossible. Did Hope convince you of this?"

"No. And there's something you need to know about her." That's the last of the conversation Hope heard before she disappeared around the corner. She went straight past the room in which her old and new friends were gathered.

"Hey, Hope. We were about to play –" Maya called out. But Hope kept going.

Hope went up the stairs and straight into the room she'd been using earlier. Closing the door, she sat down on the floor and began to weep. Landon wanted to be with Josie. She always knew he'd choose someone else, in the end. Sobbing, Hope slumped to the floor, her face pressing into her knees.

A hand went to her shoulder. "There. There, Ms. Mikaelson. There will always be a place for you at The Overlook. All your desires will be fulfilled. Just come to the party tonight."

The long-dead manger of the hotel, knelt down in front of her. His wolf mask lay beside his foot. He placed a gentle hand on her cheek. "We've been waiting for you for a long time. Your father was such fun in the bad, old days."

"You knew my father?" Hope choked out.

Chuckling the evil spirit nodded. "Oh, yes. Klaus Mikaelson. Who could forget? The late. The great. The indomitable force of a man. Unfortunately he had other plans; so he had to leave sooner than we would have liked for him to. But his daughter. His legacy. So sweet. So pretty. Such a wonderful addition. All of us agree. And your little friend, Landon. Don't worry. He'll be here, too. You'll be together. Forever. Dancing 'til you drop for as long as you both shall live."

Laughing, the spirit rose to his feet. "Come on. Put on a happy face." He took Hope's hands, tugging her to her feet. He placed a hand on her lower back and began to go through some old dance moves with a lot of footwork.

Old time music began to play as balloons filled the room. Hope found a noisemaker between her fingers and a flapper dress wrapped around her curves. "A party? Huh?" she asked with a smile. "You know how to show us a good time, don't cha?"

"You know it. But only for my number one girl and boy." Twirling Hope, the spirit grinned and Hope felt her own spirits lightening. Together. Forever. Who wouldn't like that offer? An end to all that worried her. No more Mali pit of eternal torment. Worry about her families' one million enemies. Jo's jealousy. Whether or not her friends would hate her. Who needed them when she and Landon would live her at The Overlook forever?

~0~

"I think that someone should go out and see if there's a way out of this hotel," Sheriff Mac said, hands on her hips.

"What a good idea," Lizzie added. She rolled her eyes. MG sat beside her and looked somewhat worried as well. His brows knit together. It looked like a half-hour nap had left the Sheriff of Mystic Falls with the impression that they could just saunter outside and find a way the hell out of the whereabouts that would end in someone's certain death.

"Good idea, Sheriff," Dr. Vardemus added with a smile.

Lizzie narrowed her eyes at the man. She did not like how he had been spending so much time with Jo lately. If they were normal humans, she would think he was some kind of a sexual predator. In this case, Lizzie suspected him of another kind of predator but she had yet to put a finger on what kind.

Alaric came into the room and Lizzie straightened up. "Daddy, are you feeling better?" she asked him brightly.

Jo had just come back into the room with Landon. Neither of them looked too happy. Must be a Hope thing. Jo seriously did not like the new girl. Personally, Lizzie did not really know what to think other than be suspicious of anyone new. "Are you okay?" she mouthed to her twin.

Jo shook her head and came to sit next to Lizzie while Landon sat on the floor beside a quiet Rafe. Alaric rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know. I guess I feel better. I'm not really sure what happened last night. Anyone care to fill me in?"

Dr. Vardemus opened his mouth when the Sheriff gave him a steady look that would shut most anyone up. "I think you were sleep walking. In some kind of a nightmare trance," the Sheriff said, glancing at the others.

"Makes sense to me." Jo nodded as she spoke. "Dad has episodes sometimes. He'll forget where he is. He had an accident. Before Lizzie and I were born. And being in new places can trigger one of them."

"Really?" Dr. V looked down at Jo.

Lizzie jumped in. "Totally. This one time, he and Mom went on a trip down to New Orleans and all kinds of weird stuff happened." She did not go into details as Dr. V stared at her but she did offer up a wide smile. "Who's going to go out and check for a way out of here?" She looked around the group, eyes falling on her sister's boyfriend. "Volunteers? Landon, is that your hand up?"

Landon looked at his hand in his lap. "No."

"I would go," Ethan began when his mother and sister shot him looks. "Only I'm already down one arm. My family would kill me."

"Probably not the only thing out there that would," Jed muttered. His eyes went up when Alaric let out a loud cough and glared at the wolf.

Jed rolled his eyes. Getting to his feet; he stretched. "Fine. You're all so scared of this place. I'll go. Who's with me?"

"Me." Rafael got to his feet. "I need to stretch my legs. Landon, stay close to Jo." Landon got to his feet and they hugged.

Lizzie traded a look with Sebastian. She really wished her friends could see him. She knew he would be a lot of help in defeating these spirits. He'd probably defeated all kinds of things in his time. Her eyes glazed over as she sat back on the couch, playing out fantasies involving Sebastian's heroics.

"Okay. I'm going to check and see if the CB radio is still working," the Sheriff said.

"I'll go with you," Alaric offered. "Be safe," he said, looking at Lizzie and Josie.

"Hmm?" Lizzie snapped out of her reverie to watch her father leave with the Sheriff. "Where is he going?"

"They're going to check the old people's radio," Ethan supplied. "Find out if we can still talk to people who aren't the spirits of the dead who want to murder us all in our beds."

"Ha-ha." Lizzie wrapped her arms around herself.

Dr. V stood up. "Right. Now, that Dr. Saltzman has left us, I believe that if the wolves do not return within the hour we shall send out our more powerful resource –"

"Ghost Busters?" Landon interrupted.

MG laughed and stopped when Dr. V gave him a dark look. "No. The vampires. MG and Kaleb can withstand cold that witches cannot." He looked to Lizzie and Josie.

"Huh?" Maya looked at the others. Ethan also looked confused.

Dr. V rolled his eyes. "I did forget we were in mixed company." He offered Maya and Ethan condescending smiles. "Don't worry. You'll soon forget this little nightmare." He then looked to the window. "Good luck to our first wave."

~0~

"Shit. It is cold out here," Jed grumbled, tugging his coat around him tightly.

"Ya think?" Rafael retorted. He could see his breath in great plumes. "Can you see anything that looks like a road?"

"Thought you were the alpha," Jed snarled out, his teeth chattering.

"Thought you took over," Rafael snapped, his eyes narrowed.

Jed chuckled. "No one asked you to take some stupid ring from a witch you didn't even know and wolf-out for the summer. How was your vacation, anyway? Meet a nice girl? Got some pups now?"

"Shut up, Jed." Rafael shook his head. "I did not miss you."

"Me either," Jed retorted with a smile.

"Must have been the worst summer of the pack's life since you took over," Rafael added. He couldn't help it. Seeing Jed bristle brought back fond memories.

"Yeah. They bitched the whole time. 'I miss Rafe. When is Rafe going to start strutting around on two legs and bossing us around again?" Jed would have continued but Rafael saw something shake off snow to their left. He threw out an arm, barring Jed's forward movement. "What the hell, man?" Jed cried.

"Shush!" Rafael hissed, his ears pricking up. "Hear that?"

Jed's head went from left to right and he nodded slowly. "I do now." Then, "They're coming alive."

"Shit," Rafael groaned. He really, really hated this part of the book. He'd been a teenager the first time Landon made him read the book. They'd taken turns with a battered copy one of the other kids had stolen from a library. The hedge-maze animals always gave Rafael the creeps.

"Oh, man!" Jed groaned as the animals moved to cut off their return to The Overlook.

Turning, so Rafael was back-to-back with Jed, Rafael found more hedge animals behind them. And more were moving to surround them. They were trapped. The only way out: Fighting.

"Got any good ideas?" Jed asked.

"No. You?" Rafael retorted.

"Got a lighter," Jed said.

"Why?" Rafael asked.

"Seemed like a good idea. Hang out with witches. Sometimes they need to light candle. And other things..." Jed said.

"Works for me. Time to light these guys up." Rafael said as Jed pulled out the lighter and flicked it on.

"Come and get it!" Jed yelled at the closet animal that charged at them and he shoved the lighter into one if its legs. It howled and stumbled away, shoving its leg into a snow bank. This gave them a couple of feet to run before more animals impeded their exit.

Jed flicked the light, again, and thrust his arms in a wide arc. He burned several of the animals. Rafael wished he had something to light on fire and to wave at these things. Then he thought of something. If this worked, it might mean they had enough room to make it back to The Overlook. If not. Well, Rafael might die of hypothermia.

Ripping off his coat, Rafael held it up. "Burn it!" he shouted at Jed, waving his coat at his fellow wolf.

Jed frowned. "No way. You'll freeze to death!" A hedge monster swept an arm around, reaching out to knock Jed to the ground when Rafael leapt on it. He threw his coat over the thing. "Burn it!" he shouted, pointing at the animal which roared and ripped at Rafael. It clawed his face, making him bleed.

Jed groaned and set fire to the coat, jerking Rafael out of the way. They ran backwards, turning to find there were still too many animals after them. They were surrounded, again.

Then a pair of vampires appeared. "Sorry. Your hour is up." Kaleb said with a grin. "Come and get me, you Giant Chia Pet!"

Said Giant Chia Pet threw itself at Kaleb who sped out of the way. "Use the lighter!" Jed shouted, tossing the lighter to MG.

MG flicked it on and began setting each of the animals in their way on fire. He made a path for them to run forward and toward the resort. Rafael could see his friends through the front doors. They were almost in reach when one of the things bit Jed's shoulder, trying to pull him back toward the hedge monsters who had survived their burns but did not seem to want to come for more.

Then a flame went flying past them. Rafael's eyes went toward Josie. She had stood just outside the doors. Her arms were swept outward and she had let out a scream. Fire erupted from her hands and went toward the Chia Pets who were still attacking.

Rafael ran toward the Chia Pet who held Jed and jerked his pack member free before he could be fricasseed. Jed was panting as they fell face-forward into the snow. "You okay?" Rafael asked as Jose let out another scream, still setting hedges on fire.

"Jo, we're okay!" Rafael shouted, helping Jed up.

Josie was shivering as Landon opened the door. Rafael, Jed, Kaleb and MG made their way behind Landon and Jo. Lizzie brought blankets. She handed one to Landon who wrapped Jo up. Then he handed one to Rafael. Rafael shoved it into Jed's chest. A little smirk played on Jed's face as he covered himself. "Thanks." Jed muttered.

Rafael nodded and made his way to stand in front of the fire. Alaric came into the room with the Sheriff. "CB's down," Ric told them.

"Damn," Kaleb groaned. "Now, how the hell are we getting out of here?"

"Does this mean we're staying another night?" Maya asked them, glancing nervously around the room. She had her arms wrapped around herself. "And if we are, can someone tell me how Jo made fire? 'Cause if that's like a super-power, or something; where do I get one?"

Rafael couldn't help but chuckle. "Not a super-power. And, trust me, you don't want this." He went to sit on the edge of a chair.

Maya looked at the others. "So, can all of you make fire?"

The Sheriff came over to stand by her kids. "Someone want to tell me what you're talking about?"

"Not at the moment, no," Dr. V told her with a smile. "Trust me, Sheriff, when this is all over; it will feel like you just another bad dream."

Landon came to stand next to Rafael. "I think if they're going to survive until we leave; they need to know the truth."

"What truth?" Ethan asked.

"About us," Rafael added. "I'm a wolf. Land's a phoenix. Lizzie. Josie. They're witches. Dr. V's…something. Jed's a wolf. MG and Kaleb. They're vamps."

"We're vegan," MG called out, grinning proudly.

Maya looked unsure of that. "Well, what's Hope?"

"A tribrid," Landon offered.

"A what?" Dr. V said. Jo also looked confused.

"A vamp. Wolf. Witch." Landon listed the three off. "Where is Hope?"

"Haven't seen her since she wandered off," Lizzie said. "Since when did you know what Hope is?"

"Since she told him," Jo said, looking disappointed. "We really need to find her. Before the hotel decides to process her, like they did with me."

Rafael did not like the mental picture that came to mind. "Hope!" he called, moving toward the stairs.

~0~

It felt like a whole day since they're begun their search for Hope Mikaelson. Landon had split off with Rafael and Jo. Lizzie had gone with MG in the hopes that if the hotel possessed him he would not dine on his beloved. Kaleb joined Ric, the Sheriff and her kids. Dr. V decided to sit in the foyer and collect dust of yet another horror-filled field trip for Christmas.

"Hope?" Landon called out.

"Hope?" Jo called out.

"Hope?" Rafael shouted.

Finally there were sounds from the ball room. It sounded like music had begun to play. "Someone got the Wi-Fi up and running," Rafael mused.

"And added some adornments," Jo said, kicking a balloon down the hallway.

Streamers began to seep from underneath the doors to the ballroom. Landon felt his stomach twist. He thought he remembered what would be behind those doors. He looked at Rafe who nodded. Together, they went to the doors. Landon glanced at Jo who wiggled her fingers at her sides. She was ready.

Opening the doors, Rafael went in first. Landon went behind him. Jo was the last to come in, ready to set anything that came at them on fire.

They were greeted by a party. Someone blew a noisemaker in Landon's face and he jumped back, running into Jo. "Sorry," he grunted.

"It's okay," Jo muttered.

"Do you see her?" Rafe asked.

"That's why the lady is a tramp!" Hope sang, standing in front of a microphone. "Oh, thank you," she cried, laughing as someone brought her a martini. She caught sight of Landon, Josie and Rafael. "My friends are here!" she shouted to the crowd.

The crowd of spirits turned and began to clap. Landon felt his heart pounding in his chest as the things began to try to touch him and he jerked away from them. "Get off of me!" he snapped at them.

Shaking his head, Landon jumped when a girl's hand went to his shoulder. He whirled to find himself face-to-face with Hope. "Oh, these clothes won't do." She poked him on the end of the nose. Entwining her fingers, she cracked her knuckles before she waved her hands and Landon looked down at his 1920s garb. "Much better," Hope said with a happy smile.

Josie stepped forward. "Hope, we need to leave."

Then the guy who ran the place came out with his wolf mask. "Go? Why would you want to go? No one ever wants to leave The Overlook. People kill to stay here! I can tell you, you'll be dying to stay by the time this night's through." He leered at Jo. "And trust me, girlie. This boy," he looked at Landon, "He's not for you. I can introduce you to some nice boys."

"Why don't you back off?" Rafael snarled, showing his teeth to the spirit.

"Ha-ha," the spirit snarled back, baring his own teeth.

"Now, now," Hope chided them. "This is my friend. And alllll of my friends must be included. We mustn't treat people differently." She pouted and wagged a finger. "Not when you have a new king and queen running things."

"King and queen?" Landon's brows furrowed.

"Yes, darling," Hope said. "From now on, we're in charge. This is to be our home. Forever. We'll have a new party. Every night. Everyone will attend. We'll never have to worry about that awful Malivore pit again. It'll be a hoot."

"Why are you talking like that?" Landon asked Hope.

"Like what?" Hope looked confused.

"Hope, I think you've been possessed," Landon said.

Hope shook her head. "No, Landon. I've always been this way. We've always been here. This is our home." She took hold of Josie's hand. "Come, Josie. You simply must meet the Walters. They've been here since the first year the hotel was built."

"Uh." Josie looked at Landon and Rafael.

Rafael leaned closer to Landon. "This is the time we really need to do something before she starts making decorating choices like floral patterns on the coffins or just plain oak."

Landon nodded. "I'm on it." He pushed his way through the eager crowd who danced too close to him. "Hope. I think Jo can meet the Walters some other time. Can we talk?"

"Sure, honey," Hope said. She released Jo who moved to join Rafael. "Better idea. Dance with me?" She held out her arms and Landon nodded, taking her hand and placing his free one on her lower back. "So, you said we used to be in love."

"Always, darling. We've always been in love," Hope corrected.

"Right. Okay." Landon nodded. He could see their new boss eying poor Jo who cringed. "Do you remember when you jumped into Malivore for me?"

"Vaguely," Hope replied, frowning. "I don't want to think about that."

"I know. But I need you to remember that. Because I don't. I don't remember the last time we kissed. You would have kissed me good-bye, right? 'Cause that's what people do. If you're going to make this an epic moment, you're going to kiss your lover good-bye." Landon watched Hope's face screw up. He was breaking through the fog. "And maybe this will work…"

"What will work?" Hope asked. Then Landon kissed her. His hands went up to cup her face as he continued to kiss her. Her arms held him tight, her fingers going up into his hair. His hands went down to press her body to his own.

Memories flooded him. Every kiss. Every lie. Every argument. Every misunderstanding. Every moment that he wanted to tell her he loved her. Every time he did. Pulling back, Landon let out a quiet laugh. "Hope?"

"Landon?" Hope had tears in her eyes. Then they both seemed to note the lack of music and spirits. "They're gone. You did it."

"Because of you. You made me learn to control what I could see. See, I've always had this thing. This thing where I could sense things about people. This kind of sixth sense or intuition. I never knew what it meant. Until we came here. And now I kind of know." Landon said. "So, I guess there's more to me than coming back from the dead."

"Guess so," Hope said.

"Oh, and I have my memories back," Landon added, tucking Hope's hair behind her ear.

"What?" Hope looked shocked.

"Yeah. I guess it was the kiss. Kind of like a fairy tale." Landon watched Hope roll her eyes and he hoped he never forgot what that looked like, again. Turning around, he noted that Jo was gone.

Rafael had his hands in his pockets. "Jo went to go be with Lizzie."

"Oh?" Landon felt a prick of guilt. He wished that he hadn't forgotten Hope. Jo did not deserve to be hurt like this. But he could not lie to her either. Hope Mikaelson and he had a one-of-a-kind-love.

~0~

Hope, Landon and Rafael came into the foyer. They found everyone gathered together. They seemed to waiting for the three to return. "So, is it over?" MG asked.

"I hope so," Landon said, glancing at Hope.

Hope nodded.

Then someone appeared. They were running up the path. Alaric went to the front doors and opened them. "Dorian?"

Dorian came running in. "Thank God, I found you all in time!" He held up an old-looking book. "This is Mary Ann Fell's diary. She stayed here on Halloween night. Back in '63. With a Shawn O'Kieffe. Opening the diary, Dorian made his way over to Landon. "I believe he was you maternal grandfather."

Looking down at the man in the picture, Landon gulped. They did look a lot alike. "It seems that Shawn had a gift—"

"His intuition," Alaric interrupted. "Huh."

Now everyone was staring at Landon like he'd grown a second head. Hope just smiled.

Dorian ran a hand over his face. "I thought I was too late. The ghosts wanted to consecrate your bodies here and to use your magic to keep this place alive."

"Oh, so a basic Thursday," Kaleb said with a nod.

"Oh?" Dr. V assumed a look of innocence while everyone else glared. "Congrats. You all passed with flying colors."

Hope shook her head. "Time to go."

Everyone left and at the gate Hope turned and said, "Praetexo. That should keep them away until my aunt Freya can come up and seal it for good."

~0~

On the ride back, Landon sat between Hope and Rafael. He watched Jo trying to explain to Maya how she made fire come out of her hands. It looked like Jo would move on from him.

Turning to look at Hope, Landon couldn't help but smile. "So, I guess I saved the day."

"Kind of," Hope replied with a giggle.

"What do I get?" Landon inquired.

Hope looked thoughtful. She opened her purse. "Reese's pieces?" she inquired.

"I was thinking kisses," Landon replied.

"Maybe when we get home," Hope replied.

Landon rolled his eyes. "I play the hero and I can't even get a kiss. It's been half a year –" He stopped talking when Hope crushed her lips to his. "Never mind," he sighed when she pulled back. Smiling, Landon leaned back in the van seat. Then he spotted something in the backseat of Ric's car. "Who's the guy in the Romeo costume?"

"What guy?" Hope asked. She glanced from Landon to Lizzie.

"That guy!" Landon waved at the guy next to Lizzie. Then said guy turned and waved at Landon who waved back. Lizzie turned and let out a giggle, swatting the guy's shoulder. "So that's Sebastian," Landon said.

"Where?" Jo, Hope and Rafe asked.

Landon groaned. Yes. This would just be the beginning of his new troubles.

_**The End**_

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Answer to guest review: **

**Natasha: You're welcome! I hope you enjoyed the end as well. Yes, they are and I am rooting for them this season! **

**Peace,**

**-J**


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